Authors Note: I wrote this quick shot while playing around with some prompts.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

Family

They couldn't be allowed to fight. He had to think of a way to stop them. Shippo frowned as he watched Kagome and Inuyasha stand toe to toe and scream at each other. He hated it when they fought and argued. They were like parents to him. He didn't like it when they fought like this, it made him feel like their pack, their family, was falling apart. His nose twitched as his eyes began to sting. He could feel tears building up and he tried to fight them off.

He yelled out a growl like sound as he sent a blast of Fox Fire to the ground next to Kagome and Inuyasha. The yelling stopped and everyone looked at him in surprise.

"Shippo?" Kagome called to him in concern.

He saw her share a worried look with Inuyasha before they both walked over to him and sat down. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at them.

"Why do you two always have to fight all the time?" he asked.

"Oh, Shippo," Kagome said sadly as she reached for him and pulled him into her lap.

Inuyasha reached over and ran gentle claws through Shippo's hair as Kagome held him.

"We're sorry, Shippo," Kagome said softly, "We didn't mean to upset you."

"Keh. Yeah, runt," Inuyasha agreed, "Relax."

"I, I don't like it when you fight," Shippo told them quietly, "The Alpha's aren't supposed to fight so much."

"Feh," Inuyasha stammered with a blush, "Relax, pup. We ain't goin anywhere. Our pack is fine."

"You, you really see me as your pup?" Shippo asked him in surprise.

"Feh. Don't be stupid," Inuyasha told him, "Course I do."

"And I see you as my son, Shippo," Kagome assured him, "No matter what happens, Shippo, you'll always be my son. And I'll always love you."

Shippo sighed happily and quickly fell asleep now that the tension was gone. Kagome and Inuyasha looked at each other quietly for a moment before they both spoke.

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha."

"Sorry, Kagome."

They smiled at each other and Inuyasha pulled Kagome into his lap.

"Sleep, Kagome," he told her, "I'll keep watch."

Kagome smiled and let herself fall asleep in Inuyasha's lap. In the morning, Shippo started calling them Mom and Dad and they both smiled happily at him.

'A family,' Shippo thought with grin, 'We really are a family.'